Long Course Sectional Highlights Through July 25 – Auburn, AL

By M. Duncan Scott

PHOENIX, Ariz – July 27 – NINE locations will host 2004 Summer SPEEDO Champion Series events across three different weekends. The first six meets have just finished. This note highlights the top efforts at the Auburn site.

We’ll highlight some of the more sizzling swims here, but please click on the special “Speedo Championship Series Summer Sectional Meets Results Page” link at the top of the SwimInfo homepage to access the results of every swim, and more!

Auburn boasted one of the deepest sectionals with at least 86 national standard swims in the finals. In the Men’s 200 backstroke, Frank Southon lead a total of 8 qualifiers in one event with a 2:04.85.

Auburn also had some of the best balance between youth and veterans, as well as foreigners (many in final tune-ups for Athens) and Americans. Probably the most outstanding swims came, as one would expect, from the contingent headed to Greece soon.

George Bovell (Trinidad and Tobago) won the 50 in :22.77, leading six under the national cut, including short course world record holder Fred Bousquet from France in fourth.

Bousquet gave a better indication he is rounding into form with his 53.36 100 butterfly win, just in front of fellow Frenchman Romy Barnier at 53.50.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe had possibly the best women’s swim of the meet in the 400 IM at 4:47.49; Eileen Coparropa of Panama had a 56.32-second prelim effort in the 100 freestyle.

Bovell, Coventry and Bousquet have to be considered players in the medal hunt in Athens, though not necessarily in the events they starred in at the Auburn Speedo Champions Series.